Making Christmas merrier

Diamond K Club shops to fulfill area children’s holiday wishes

December 12, 2012

The members of the Diamond K Kiwanis Club were spread out all over the Webster City Kmart Tuesday morning, each with a shopping cart and a list.

Actually, the their lists were paper cut-outs of angels, each of which listed the Christmas wishes of an area child. The club was taking part in the Upper Des Moines Opportunity Angel Tree program which provides eligible local children with a few Christmas gifts that they might not otherwise receive.

"We're buying clothes and toys for the kids," said Bob Erickson, a member of Diamond K Kiwanis. "We just take them all out to the UDMO office and they distribute them to the children for us."

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Ron and Sharon Keigan pick out a toy for a child Tuesday morning. The two were helping the Diamond K Kiwanis Club buy gifts for 18 children from the Upper Des Moines Opportunity Angel Tree program.

Sharon and Ron Keigan tried to decide which toy to get for their Angel Tree child.

"We bought some clothes, but you've got to get some toys, too," Ron Keigan said.

The club has been doing the shopping trip for more than 10 years, and Erickson said the members enjoy taking part in the project.

"This works out really well," he said. "We always have plenty of people who help with this. They don't complain. They just come out and start buying for the kids."

The club spends about $35 on each child, though Erickson admits that sometimes the purchases go a little higher.

"I told the guys it's really not that important if we go over a little," he said.

UDMO officials said recently that 315 children from 121 local families had registered for the Angel Tree program.

"This is really a good program. I think there are a lot of people throughout the community involved with this. That's what's really neat," he said.